“This is big; this is stuff that you don’t get a chance to do in the school system,” city recreation services leader Shaunna Foster said.

LAS CRUCES - Teens have the opportunity to transform their community through art when they enroll in the Youth Mural Arts Program offered by the Parks and Recreation Department.

Youths in 7th through 12th grade (ages 12 to 18) meet every other Saturday at Laabs Pool, 750 W. Picacho Ave., near the Lions Park tennis courts, to paint a wall that they will work on throughout next year. The wall consists of several sections each to feature a different, yet cohesive, design. Kids in the program also will tackle additional areas around town and complete special mural projects as requested.

“We’re asking kids to come out who want to learn more about painting and painting large murals because when you’re in art classes in school, you do small things,” city recreation services leader Shaunna Foster said. “This is big; this is stuff that you don’t get a chance to do in the school system.”

So far, kids in the program have been working on the first panel of the outer wall of Laabs Pool to create a mural that features several tennis balls bursting through a brick wall. Once this portion of the wall is complete, the team will move onto painting the next section.

The tennis ball mural was designed with community members in mind who use the tennis courts, Foster said.

“It’s a public space, so it should speak to the people who are using it,” she said.

Lorenzo Zepeda, also a city recreation services leader, said getting kids involved in creating public art helps them realize they have a voice.

“Any time you paint on a public wall, you’re already engaging the community in some sort of dialogue,” Zepeda said. “So, we want to make sure (these kids) know how they’re using these pictures to tell a story or to create a conversation.”

Cezar Jaramillo, 13, who has been working with other students on the tennis-themed mural, said he hopes that once the painting is completed, it makes people feel happy.

“I think it’s cool because it’s right next to the tennis courts, so all the tennis players are going to see it and I feel like it’s connecting with the community more where it’s at,” Jaramillo said.

Haley Spencer, 13, said she also hopes the mural will provide a welcoming environment for people who use the tennis courts.

Spencer said she enjoys being a part of the project because painting is a form of release for her.

“It just lets me get my feelings into the wall, especially if I’m sad or mad, just painting makes me take out all my anger in the art, instead of on people,” she said.

Spencer said she’s always wanted to learn how to create large-scale drawings on different walls.

“Ever since I was little, I always wanted to draw on walls,” she said. “One time I got in trouble by drawing on a wall, and I want to attract people with art and drawing big.”

Foster said many kids have an interest in street art because that is the kind of art they see today.

“By sheer numbers, (street art) is the largest art movement in the world right now,” she said. “This is what these kids are seeing and this is what these kids want to do. That’s the art of this generation — big and bold with a statement, so we’re giving them the chance and capability to do it.”

Along with helping kids develop as artists, the program serves as a way to cover up existing graffiti on city property, Foster said.

“We’re hoping that if a street artist comes along and sees this, they won’t mess with it,” she said.

While the Youth Mural Arts Program started out as a spring and winter art camp, with various murals completed throughout the city, including the inner wall of Laabs Pool, this is the first time the program will be offered year-round, program leaders said.

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Teens in the Park and Recreation Department’s Youth Mural Arts Program are working on a tennis-themed mural behind Laabs Pool.(Photo: Anayssa Vasquez/Sun-News)

“Right now we meet every other Saturday, but come late October, November, we’re going to meet here every Saturday,” Zepeda said.

Foster said they also plan to start offering classroom time in November, in which kids will be able to hone their art skills and contribute to the design planning process.

The program is free and teenagers can enroll in the program at any time. For information about the Youth Mural Arts Program, call Recreation Programs at 575-541-2554.